Extraordinary Consistory

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández delivered the principal theological meditation during the second session of the first day of Pope Leo XIV’s Extraordinary Consistory The College of Cardinals concluded the first day of Pope Leo XIV’s Extraordinary Consistory with Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández clarifying the Pope’s call for the Catholic Church to move beyond the traditional just war theory. Following presentations by the working groups, the remainder of the afternoon was devoted to open interventions from cardinals, who returned repeatedly to the themes of the Pope’s landmark encyclical. According to the Holy See Press Office, the interventions centred on the need for Christians to transform society through the witness of their lives, while many cardinals expressed gratitude for what they described as the spirit of communion fostered during the Consistory. The Holy See said the discussions stressed Christian witness as the means by which “mentalities and cultures” could be changed, with cardinals reflecting that authentic evangelisation depended not simply on words but on lives capable of demonstrating the Gospel before an increasingly sceptical world. The interventions also returned to one of the most striking passages of Magnifica Humanitas , in which Pope Leo acknowledged that the Church had been too slow in unequivocally condemning slavery. According to the Holy See, cardinals said the Pope’s forthright admission had “opened the hearts of millions to the Gospel”, bringing “light and hope to the Church”. Rather than weakening the Church’s witness, they suggested that the Pope’s willingness to confront painful chapters of history had strengthened its credibility in the modern world. Cardinals also described the encyclical as a personal appeal directed not only to Catholics generally but particularly to members of the College of Cardinals, calling them to assume responsibility for building peace in a world marked by conflict and instability. They noted the continuing importance of symbolic acts of reconciliation, recalling St John Paul II’s Prayer Meeting for Peace in Assisi in 1986 as an example of the Church exercising moral leadership beyond political divisions. The session concluded shortly before 7.30 pm with Pope Leo leading the cardinals in prayer. Earlier in the day, Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, delivered the principal theological meditation on the fifth chapter of Magnifica Humanitas , offering what amounted to the clearest exposition yet of Pope Leo’s teaching on war and legitimate defence. Cardinal Fernández argued that the encyclical’s originality lay not simply in its treatment of armed conflict but in its diagnosis of what it calls the “culture” of power, a global mentality that enables wars to emerge and continue with diminishing resistance from societies increasingly shaped by modern communications and artificial intelligence. He said the encyclical’s most significant doctrinal development was its assertion that “the ‘just war’ theory […] is outdated”, explaining that Pope Leo was not abandoning the Church’s concern for legitimate defence but warning that the traditional doctrine had “all too often been used to justify any kind of war”. “The Church’s Social Doctrine is manipulated to provide a theoretical foundation for the most unjust wars,” Cardinal Fernández said. “Instead of stopping wars, it helps to justify them.” He insisted that legitimate self-defence remained part of Catholic teaching, but only when understood “in the strictest sense”, rejecting broad interpretations that had been used to justify so-called pre-emptive wars. Recalling the Catechism’s traditional conditions governing legitimate defence, Cardinal Fernández stressed that military action could only be justified where grave and certain aggression had occurred, all peaceful means had failed, success remained realistically possible, and military action would not inflict greater harm than the evil being resisted. He argued that these principles had become increasingly difficult to satisfy given the destructive capacity of modern weapons. “The destruction of entire cities cannot be considered a proportionate defensive action,” he said, before citing Gaza and southern Lebanon as examples where the scale of military intervention had become impossible to reconcile with classical Catholic teaching on proportionality. “The enormous disproportion of the military interventions in Gaza and southern Lebanon, for example, is evident,” he said. Referring to civilian casualties and widespread destruction, he added that “the percentage of civilian deaths relative to the total population, the enormous number of children killed… and the number of homes bombed allow us to speak of total destruction.” He argued that appeals to self-defence had become increasingly elastic, not only in the Middle East but also in Ukraine and elsewhere, asking: “What remains of the conditions that sought to limit wars?” Cardinal Fernández suggested that contemporary conflicts reflected a broader cultural shift identified by the encyclical as the “normalisation of war” and a “troubling revival of war as an instrument of international politics”, accompanied by what Pope Leo describes as a “loss of historical memory”. The Argentine cardinal warned that this culture was sustained through systematic misinformation, the discrediting of political opponents, and the cultivation of fear. Quoting directly from the encyclical, he said modern politics increasingly relied upon “misinformation and ridiculing opponents, and systematically cultivating fears and resentments”, creating “an environment in which new conflicts can develop almost imperceptibly”. He also criticised what he described as a false political realism that dismissed peace as naïve. “This so-called realism,” he said, “dismisses peace and dialogue as utopian or irrational positions that ignore the risks at stake.” He warned that even bishops could become trapped by such thinking through fear of appearing unrealistic. Cardinal Fernández also criticised what he called selective moral consistency in international affairs, pointing to differing responses to conflicts depending on political alliances. He argued that countries often condemned abuses committed by adversaries while overlooking similar violations committed by allies, concluding that geopolitical interests frequently displaced objective moral principles. The cardinal’s meditation concluded on a more hopeful note, presenting Catholic social teaching as offering a coherent alternative to ideological polarisation. He said the Church remained distinctive because it consistently defended unborn life while simultaneously protecting migrants, opposing war, defending vulnerable populations, and rejecting abortion, all without becoming captive to electoral politics or ideological factions. “It always proclaims the saving love of Christ,” he said, “but never separates it from the constant defence of human dignity in every circumstance, since such a defence lies at the heart of the Gospel.” He ended by turning the challenge back upon the bishops themselves, asking whether local Churches reflected the same integrity found in papal teaching or whether they too had succumbed to the culture of power that the encyclical seeks to overcome.

Report from Day 1 of the Consistory: During the opening session, Pope Leo XIV and the College of Cardinals examined the wounds of today’s world The College of Cardinals opened the Extraordinary Consistory by reflecting on the wounds of the modern world, with Pope Leo XIV urging the Church’s senior prelates to discern how to proclaim the Gospel at a time marked by war, loneliness, secularisation and growing social fragmentation. Following Mass in St Peter’s Basilica on the morning of 26 June, 178 cardinals gathered in the Paul VI Hall for the first working session of the two-day meeting. After the singing of the Veni Creator , Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio opened proceedings before Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, welcomed the assembly. Pope Leo XIV then delivered an introductory address before Cardinal Rueda Aparicio introduced the day’s theme, “In What World Are We Called to Proclaim the Gospel?”, reminding the cardinals of the Holy Father’s request for their assistance and assuring him of “their support, with faith, joy, and availability”. The principal reflection was delivered by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś of Łódź, who framed the discussions around Christ’s parable of the Good Samaritan. Rather than approaching the modern world through political or sociological analysis, the Polish cardinal argued that the Church should begin with the individual person. “The old story of the Samaritan,” he said, recalling St Paul VI’s closing address to the Second Vatican Council, should remain the Church’s exemplum atque norma , its “model” and “paradigm”, for understanding the contemporary world. “The old story of the Samaritan does not speak about ‘the world’; its subject is a single person – ‘a certain man’,” Cardinal Ryś said. “Instead of talking about an abstract and sociological concept of ‘the world’, let us think about concrete MAN and WOMAN,” because each person is both a “co-creator of the world” and “a primary and fundamental way for the Church”. Reflecting on the wounded traveller, Cardinal Ryś said modern humanity increasingly resembles the victim left on the roadside. “Violence has nearly become a name of today’s world,” he observed, pointing to “32 wars” currently taking place while noting that children and young people frequently encounter “drastic violence at school”. Such violence, he warned, “starts with aggressive language, and it ends with murder and suicide”. The traveller’s robbery, he continued, was also symbolic of modern society. Having been stripped of everything, the man is deprived not only of his possessions but also of his dignity. Nakedness, the cardinal noted, was a biblical sign of slavery, adding that contemporary forms of slavery range from the exploitation of migrants to addictions “caused by drugs, pornography, all kinds of addictions, and even modern technologies”. He described today’s men and women as increasingly “beaten and injured”, explaining that humanity is now in need of “a field hospital”. While some wounds are visible, he said, others remain “deeply hidden and never exposed, yet determine a person’s behaviour and actions”, leaving countless people scarred physically, psychologically and spiritually. Cardinal Ryś devoted particular attention to loneliness, describing the Gospel’s image of the traveller abandoned by passers-by as one of the defining characteristics of contemporary life. The wounded man, he said, is “left behind”, forced to face his suffering alone while others deliberately pass him by. “This is another sort of violence that today’s men and women face: indifference,” he said, recalling Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe’s description of modern society as suffering a “tsunami of loneliness”. Despite possessing “the best, most sophisticated means of communication”, modern men and women remain relictus – abandoned. The cardinal also reflected on the traveller being “half-dead”, asking, “How many people today live on such an edge or margin of life?” He suggested the root of many contemporary problems lies in humanity’s movement away from God, observing that the wounded traveller was descending “from Jerusalem to Jericho”, away from the Temple. That image, he argued, reflects societies that have become “secularised, seeking greatness in freedom from religion”, or which misuse religion “to promote ideas and actions absolutely foreign to it”. Turning to the Samaritan himself, Cardinal Ryś argued that Christians should not only seek to teach the modern world but also be willing to learn from it. Although regarded as “a foreigner, an alien, even an enemy”, the Samaritan becomes Christ’s example of authentic charity. “What does today’s Samaritan teach?” the cardinal asked. His first answer was simple: “compassion.” Referring to the Latin phrase misericordia motus , he said mercy should not become the object of rivalry between the Church and the world. “There are so many charitable activities and works in the world we can admire and follow, or simply take part in,” he said. “Instead of stupid jealousy and pretence, it is much better to learn and to encounter. Mercy and charity may be a meeting place of the Church and the world, the place of true dialogue and healing unity.” Following a prolonged period of silent prayer, the cardinals divided into working groups before returning to the Paul VI Hall for reports from the secretaries of the various groups. According to the Holy See Press Office, the discussions displayed remarkable agreement across the College of Cardinals. Summarising the discussions, the Press Office said: “All groups emphasised in deeply conscious terms the suffering experienced by men and women in this time of profound social transformation.” Among the principal concerns raised were “growing polarisation within societies and communities”, which the cardinals said generates “political tensions and violence” while being fuelled by “social divisions, the use of false information, and widespread communication that fails to foster understanding”. The reports warned that such polarisation “hinders governance and coexistence” and contributes to increasing violence at every level of society. Several groups also raised “a lack of respect for religious and ethnic minorities” that “undermines religious freedom and leads to hostility, or even violence, particularly against the Church”. Some also referred specifically to “the rise of anti-Semitism”. The cardinals repeatedly returned to the weakening of family life and growing individualism. According to the Press Office summary, many linked “the crisis of the family, especially loneliness, among both the elderly and the young” to “the rise in suicides and drug use”. Discussions also focused extensively on young people facing economic uncertainty, unemployment and financial instability. Other reports highlighted “a general sense of distrust, fatalism, and impotence towards institutions, democracy, and the future”, together with declining birth rates, criminal gangs, juvenile delinquency and drug trafficking. Several groups also pointed to “the role of secularism, the loss of transcendent and spiritual values, and the meaning of life”, warning that “the spreading sense of weariness and the absence of a perspective of truth mark the inability to recognise otherness and to build relationships”. Migration likewise featured prominently. The cardinals agreed on “the need to address the phenomenon of migration in a humane and Christian manner”, recognising that migration “is changing the face of peoples, societies, and communities”, while making “effective integration policies” increasingly urgent. Despite the sombre diagnosis, the reports also identified numerous signs of hope. According to the Holy See, every group stressed “the need for the Church to show herself as a mother, a welcoming place”, even if this requires “restructuring parishes”, while remaining capable of “acknowledging her own mistakes and making suffering a moment of growth”. The summary added that “a strong awareness of the responsibility entrusted to the Church in the current historical moment also emerged”. While “many institutions are experiencing a crisis of credibility”, the cardinals believed “the Church feels called to speak with authority for the dignity of the person, for peace, reconciliation, and the common good”. Pope Leo returned for the closing plenary session before thanking the cardinals for their participation. Recalling Cardinal Ryś’s meditation, the Holy Father reflected on “the image of the victim, almost dead”, adding: “If we are not blind, it is true that there is so much suffering.” Loneliness and suffering, he said, are products of contemporary society, and the Church’s response is to invite people into communion “not only by opening churches and celebrating the sacraments, but by creating opportunities and experiences of encounter”. The format of the Extraordinary Consistory itself reflects the increasingly synodal style that has become established in Vatican consultation. As in January’s consistory, the cardinals were divided into small working groups led by presidents and secretaries before moving through three stages consisting of personal interventions, shared listening, and the drafting of a common report. Those reports were then presented to the wider assembly before participants were invited to make brief interventions or submit written observations. The methodology mirrors the process employed during the Synod on Synodality and indicates that the consultative approach developed under the previous pontificate continues to shape the work of the College of Cardinals under Pope Leo XIV. Photo credit: Eros R. Santana/ACFI/EUROPA PRESS

Read Pope Leo XIV’s homily to the Cardinals at the opening Mass of the Extraordinary Consistory in full At 7:30 this morning, in Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father Leo XIV presided over Holy Mass with the Cardinals gathered in the Extraordinary Consistory from 26 to 27 June 2026. AdVaticanum gives the English translation to the Homily given today: Dearest brothers, We have gathered around the altar of the Lord, near the tomb of Saint Peter, to begin the Consistory. We come to celebrate this Eucharist from every part of the world: together with our lives, we therefore offer to God the communities and peoples we carry in our hearts, as well as our pastoral projects and experiences, both joyful and challenging. This variety of affections and thoughts now concentrates: that is, it finds that luminous center, which is Christ. He himself, in person, addresses us, saying: “I am the true vine” (Jn 15:1). Through Jesus, grace and truth flow into our lives (cf. Jn 1:17), renewing us intimately: these divine gifts are also the fertile sap of the Consistory we inaugurate today. It is the Gospel itself that prepares the conditions for it to be fruitful: “Abide in me, and I in you” (Jn 15:4). On the one hand, the Master warns us that “without me you can do nothing” (v. 5), on the other, he wants his disciples to bear “much fruit” (v. 8). Yes, much: the grace of God does not produce stunted growth in those who welcome it, but rather a thriving development. The eternal Word, in fact, became man so that all “may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). Begun in faith, this life is even strengthened by the test of pruning, because it is cultivated by the Father’s care. As we ask God to grant us strength and wisdom, it is significant that our Consistory takes place on the eve of the solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul. Let us pause together in this memory, which recalls the pillars of the Catholic and Roman Church, the two missionary martyrs whose preaching became so integral to their lives that it became part of Sacred Scripture. Listening today to St. Paul’s words to the Corinthians, we can note their happy consonance with those of the Gospel. The different charisms, ministries, and ecclesial activities are like branches of the one vine, that is, of the one Lord (cf. 1 Cor 12:4–6) who infuses the Holy Spirit into his Church. This organic unity corresponds to the criterion that makes all those ecclesial services good and enjoyable: the criterion of the common good (cf. v. 7). Dearest ones, from the Word of God that we have heard, I would like to draw some indications for our discernment in these days. First, the example of Saints Peter and Paul encourages us to share true freedom in faith. Indeed, it is precisely our relationship with the Lord Jesus that frees us from sin and fear: while he calls us to follow him, he himself sends us into the world as successors of the Apostles. Proclaiming the Gospel, celebrating the Sacraments, and dedicating ourselves to the Lord’s flock is accomplished and bears fruit to the extent of our belief in him, the Good Shepherd. Faith is that virtue, never to be taken for granted, that gives life to the Church, because it corresponds to the grace that nourishes the branches of the one vine. The living Church is the Church that believes, through the gift of the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts: this Church bears much fruit. Just as divine grace precedes human freedom, so the Church’s faith precedes ours and demands to be witnessed to with ardour. This mission has Christ as its beginning and end: in the words of the psalmist, “Proclaim his salvation day after day; declare his glory among the nations” (Ps 96:2–3). Second, we ask for the gift of peace in unity. While we invite all peoples to faith, in which we are truly free, international tensions and conflicts gravely wound the human family. However, initiatives and experiences are not lacking; indeed, they are multiplying in the Church and throughout the world that call for respect for human dignity, justice, law, and simply for humanity. This is a reason for hope, because it attests to the beauty of the work of God, who created us in his image and likeness, as a sign of his glory in the world. When this sign is wounded, we are all wounded. When it is corrupted, we all suffer. When it is killed, we all feel torn apart. Therefore, war is never worthy of man, and is never blessed by God, because the Creator has endowed us with the intelligence and will to resolve conflicts as human beings and not as beasts, perhaps equipped with hyper-technological weapons. The unity of the human family precedes individual peoples and states. This is not just a biological fact: it is an ethical principle. Peace is a duty of justice because we are one human family, a magnificent humanitas that finds in Christ its Head and Redeemer. Reflecting on the Encyclical I promulgated on May 15, we must therefore continue on the path traced by Saint Paul VI: when he “introduced the expression ‘civilization of love,’ the world was marked by the Cold War, the arms race, and serious economic imbalances. In that context, the Church pointed to an alternative path to the ideological opposition between systems, imagining a social order in which justice and charity are intertwined” (Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas, 186. Cf. Saint Paul VI, Regina Caeli, May 17, 1970). This is how Christian witness becomes the prophecy of a new world, evangelization and service, a cultural and social project that integrally promotes human development. While proclaiming the Gospel, amid joys and persecutions, the Church is never partisan: she is for everyone, and to each she addresses the same word of conversion and salvation. Third, today and always, let us enjoy harmony in obedience, that is, in the listening that recognizes the gift of the Word, made flesh for us. Through this exercise, the Holy Spirit guides us, himself pointing out pastoral problems and opportunities, purifying intentions and correcting what deviates from the common path. The implementation of the Synod, to which we are committed, invites everyone to proceed in the unity of faith, in the promotion of peace, in obedience to the living Word, who is Jesus. In this light, “the enormous and rapid cultural changes demand that we constantly seek to express the truths of all time in a language that allows us to recognize their enduring newness” (Francis, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, 41). The one Word, made man, is indeed expressed in all languages: the dead and risen Christ is the true vine, who bears fruit through all the cultures that Christians transform from within. Thus, while the ideologies of the world wither, the Holy Spirit makes fraternal understanding, charity, and missionary zeal flourish in the Church. Working together, our collegiality epitomizes the synodality in which all the baptized participate, in the unity of the People of God. Synodality and collegiality are, in fact, forms of Christian fraternity, which binds us as baptized persons and as bishops. Therefore, the help you can give me in the exercise of the Petrine ministry finds in me the one who asks, not the one who commands. The authority of the primacy, in fact, belongs to one who listens and only therefore leads, to one who learns and only therefore teaches, always following the one Master. May the intercession of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul accompany us on this exciting journey.

The Vatican has published an unusually detailed programme for the Extraordinary Consistory, setting out the themes cardinals will discuss as well as the procedures, time limits and reporting structure for the two-day meeting The Vatican has released an unusually detailed briefing on this month’s Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals, revealing not only the themes to be discussed but also the tightly controlled procedures that will govern the meeting. In an information note issued to accredited journalists, the Holy See Press Office confirmed that cardinals attending the 26–27 June meeting have been instructed to maintain confidentiality and refrain from speaking to the media during the proceedings “in order to maintain a climate of fraternal dialogue”. As usual, journalists will not be permitted into the hall during discussions, but the Vatican has promised a degree of transparency beyond that seen at many previous consistories. The Holy Father’s opening remarks and concluding address will be broadcast live by Vatican Media, while the texts of the biblical meditation and the principal introductory speeches delivered during the four sessions will be released to accredited journalists. The Vatican also said that summaries of proceedings will be distributed after each of the first three sessions. The briefing additionally disclosed the internal structure of the discussions. As was the case during the January consistory, participants will be divided into separate groups. One section will consist of nine groups made up of cardinal electors serving as ordinaries, including apostolic nuncios and cardinal electors who have completed service as diocesan ordinaries. A second section will comprise eleven groups made up of cardinals serving in the Roman Curia together with non-elector cardinals. Each group will be assigned a chairman and secretary. The chairman will moderate discussion, while the secretary will be responsible for collecting contributions and drafting a final report on behalf of the group. The Vatican also revealed a strict methodology for discussion. After a brief introduction lasting around ten minutes, proceedings in each group will unfold in three stages. The first stage consists of personal interventions, with each cardinal limited to a maximum of three minutes while responding to questions set out in the programme. The second stage, described by the Vatican as “shared listening”, will allow participants to speak again for a maximum of two minutes. During this phase, no new proposals may be introduced. Cardinals are instead expected to identify “the most significant points that emerged from the previous listening session”. The third stage will focus on drafting a report. According to the Vatican note, “The Secretary, with the help of all the Group members, collects the fruits of the discussion and proceeds to draft the final report.” Reports prepared by the groups will then be presented during plenary sessions. The Vatican said the groups of cardinal ordinaries will each present reports lasting no more than three minutes, while the other groups will also be given an opportunity to report back. The first session on 26 June will open with a biblical meditation by Cardinal Grzegorz Ryś under the title “In what world are we called to proclaim the Gospel?” Cardinals will then discuss two questions. The first asks: “What sufferings, tensions and questions are most forcefully affecting the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to your care today?” The second asks: “What signs of hope, of fidelity to the Gospel, and of possible reconciliation are important to bring to common listening?” The afternoon session will focus on “The culture of power and the civilisation of love”. The discussion will be introduced by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández and will draw on Chapter V of the papal text Magnifica Humanitas , specifically paragraphs 182 to 192. Cardinals will be asked: “How do the tensions, divisions and conflicts that are sweeping across the world today affect the life of our Churches and our peoples?” A second question asks: “What languages, attitudes and practices can help build reconciliation, coexistence and peace?” The programme released by the Vatican shows that the following morning’s discussions will be introduced by Cardinal Stephen Brislin under the heading “Building for Good: The Construction Sites of Our Time”. The session will draw upon the introduction and conclusion of Magnifica Humanitas and ask cardinals to identify fractures within their own societies that make it more difficult to pursue the common good. The cardinals will also be invited to consider: “What expectations and questions emerge from the people and peoples that the Church is called to listen to and that perhaps we do not listen to enough?” A third question asks what “supports, guidelines, or initiatives from local Churches and the universal Church could most effectively assist the commitment to building the common good”. The final session of the consistory will move to the New Synod Hall and focus on implementation of the Synod. Cardinal Mario Grech will introduce discussions using the document Towards the Synodal Assemblies 2027–2028: Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation . Unlike the previous sessions, the programme provides for a dedicated period of questions seeking clarification on the synodal process before cardinals enter into direct dialogue with Pope Leo XIV. The final exchange will consist of free interventions limited to three minutes before the Pope delivers a concluding address. The Vatican’s information note also confirmed that all reports produced by the discussion groups will be submitted electronically. “ The consistory will conclude with the singing of the Te Deum before a dinner with Pope Leo XIV in the Paul VI Hall. The publication of both the programme and the procedural framework provides one of the clearest indications yet of how this pontificate intends to conduct consultation with the College of Cardinals, while also revealing the specific texts, questions and discussion methods that will shape deliberations over the two days. The most striking aspect of the release is the extent to which the structures and working methods developed during the pontificate of Pope Francis have survived into the reign of Pope Leo XIV. The synodal framework established under Francis was never likely to disappear. Even so, the level of continuity revealed by the consistory programme is notable. The division of cardinals into small discussion groups, the emphasis on “shared listening”, the appointment of secretaries responsible for producing collective reports, and the strict time limits imposed on interventions all mirror procedures that became familiar during the Synod on Synodality. Rather than marking a departure from the Francis era, the arrangements suggest that many of its assumptions about consultation and decision-making remain firmly embedded within the Vatican’s institutional culture. We saw during the January consistory that synodal elements would remain part of the Vatican’s approach to consultation, and that expectation has now been borne out. That gathering was framed largely around listening, small-group discussion and collective reporting, and the same methodology now appears to have been carried over into the forthcoming Extraordinary Consistory. The prominence given to the Synod Secretariat is equally revealing. The final session of the consistory will not simply discuss synodality in general terms but will be structured around the Secretariat’s document, Towards the Synodal Assemblies 2027–2028: Stages, Criteria, and Tools for Preparation , with Cardinal Mario Grech leading the discussion. That decision points to the continuing influence of the synodal apparatus created during the previous pontificate. The fact that an Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals is being organised according to methodologies developed by the Synod Secretariat, and that the future stages of the synodal process occupy a dedicated session with the Pope himself, shows that the office remains one of the most important centres of influence in the Vatican, with a role that extends well beyond the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality itself.

New documents have shed light on Pope Leo XIV’s extraordinary consistory later this month, offering a clearer picture of what cardinals will discuss when they gather in Rome The full calendar for Pope Leo XIV’s Extraordinary Consistory has been revealed. Documents circulated to participants and published by the Italian blog MessainLatino show that the two-day meeting on 26 and 27 June will focus on the implementation of the Synod, the Church’s missionary mission and Pope Leo’s recent encyclical Magnifica Humanitas . While the broad themes had already been disclosed to the press, the additional documents reveal strict rules governing interventions, the drafting of reports and communications with the media. The gathering will begin on the morning of 26 June with Mass in St Peter’s Basilica celebrated by Pope Leo XIV. Cardinals are due to assemble beforehand in the Chapel of St Sebastian before proceeding to the liturgy. Following the Mass, participants will move to the Paul VI Hall, where documentation and identification badges will be distributed before the formal opening of proceedings. The first working session, entitled “In What World Are We Called to Proclaim the Gospel?”, will begin with the singing of the Veni Creator Spiritus , an address by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, and introductory remarks by the Pope. Cardinals will then hear a biblical meditation before breaking into discussion groups. They will be asked to reflect on “what sufferings, tensions and questions” are most urgently affecting the peoples and ecclesial communities entrusted to their care, and to identify signs of hope, fidelity to the Gospel and possibilities for reconciliation. The afternoon session, entitled “The Culture of Power and the Civilisation of Love”, will draw directly upon Chapter Five of Magnifica Humanitas . Cardinals will be invited to consider how global conflicts and divisions affect both local Churches and wider society, while discussing what “languages, attitudes and practices” might contribute to reconciliation and peace. A third session on the morning of 27 June will focus on what organisers describe as “The Construction Sites of Our Time”. Using the introduction and conclusion of Magnifica Humanitas as points of reference, participants will discuss social, cultural and ecclesial fractures that make it more difficult to pursue the common good. They will also examine expectations emerging from ordinary Catholics and wider society and consider what support local Churches may require in responding to contemporary challenges. The final session will be devoted to the implementation of the Synod. Cardinals will receive an update on preparations for the Synodal Assemblies planned for 2027 and 2028 before participating in an open dialogue with Pope Leo XIV. The programme concludes with a final address by the Pope and the singing of the Te Deum , before a dinner with the Holy Father in the Paul VI Hall. The accompanying confidential note sheds considerable light on how Pope Leo intends the discussions to be conducted. According to the document, the Pope wishes to draw upon “the wealth of experience and wisdom present in the College of Cardinals” and regards the meeting as an opportunity for “fraternal discussion” on the principal challenges facing the Church’s life and mission. Participants have been divided into twenty discussion groups. Nine groups consist of cardinal electors serving as diocesan ordinaries, together with apostolic nuncios and retired ordinaries. The remaining eleven groups are composed of members of the Roman Curia and cardinals over the age of eighty. The organisers state that this structure demonstrates the Holy Father’s desire to give particular attention to the experiences of local Churches throughout the world and to ensure that perspectives from different continents and ecclesial contexts are heard. Each group will be led by a chairman responsible for moderating discussions and ensuring that time limits are respected. A secretary will be tasked with collecting contributions and preparing a final report on behalf of the group. The discussions themselves will follow a carefully defined three-stage methodology. In the first phase, each cardinal will be permitted to speak for a maximum of three minutes while responding to the questions assigned to the session. In the second phase, participants will be allowed a further intervention of no more than two minutes. Rather than introducing new proposals, they will be expected to identify the most important themes that emerged during the earlier round of discussion. The third phase will involve the preparation of a report summarising the principal points raised. The secretary will draft the text with assistance from the other members of the group before it is approved and submitted electronically to organisers. The reports will then form the basis of plenary discussions. Groups composed of cardinal ordinaries will present their conclusions to the assembly, while the remaining groups will also be given an opportunity to report on their deliberations. Presentations will be limited to three minutes. The confidential note stresses that Pope Leo attaches particular importance to these plenary exchanges. Time has been reserved at the conclusion of each session for additional personal interventions, while cardinals may also submit written observations of up to two pages. One of the most notable features of the programme is the final open dialogue with the Holy Father. Cardinals will be able to address Pope Leo directly, although contributions are again expected to remain within a three-minute limit. The organisers emphasise that disagreements should not be suppressed. “Tensions and disagreements should not be avoided,” the note states, provided they are addressed “with respect and fraternal affection”. Moderators have nevertheless been instructed to enforce speaking limits strictly in order to ensure broad participation. The documents also impose strict confidentiality requirements on the Vatican press corps. Cardinals have been asked not to issue statements to journalists during the course of the consistory. While a press conference will be held after the meeting concludes, participants are specifically instructed not to reveal the identity of speakers when discussing the proceedings. The note further establishes confidential channels through which cardinals may communicate privately with the Pope. Contributions submitted through these channels will not be included in summaries of the discussions and will be accessible only to the Holy Father. The Extraordinary Consistory will conclude on 29 June when cardinals join Pope Leo for Mass marking the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul. Metropolitan archbishops appointed during the past year will receive the pallium during the liturgy. (Photo credit: Á. Pérez Meca/EUROPA PRESS)

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, one of the most influential figures in modern Italian Catholicism and a close collaborator of Pope John Paul II, has died aged 95. His death comes just days before cardinals gather in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s extraordinary consistory Cardinal Camillo Ruini, former head of the Italian bishops and one of the most consequential Church leaders of the pontificate of Pope John Paul II, has died aged 95, little more than a week before cardinals from around the world are due to gather in Rome for an extraordinary consistory. The Diocese of Rome announced his death on Tuesday evening. In a statement issued by Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the Pope’s Vicar for Rome, and the diocesan episcopal council, the Church in Rome said: “Grateful for his long and fruitful Christian life and for his service to the Church, we entrust Cardinal Camillo Ruini to the mercy of the Lord.” As president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference from 1991 until 2007 and Vicar General of the Diocese of Rome from 1991 until 2008, he exercised a level of influence rarely achieved by a churchman in post-war Italy. Born in Sassuolo, in the province of Modena, on 19 February 1931, Ruini pursued studies in philosophy and theology in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University while residing at the Almo Collegio Capranica. Ordained a priest on 8 December 1954, he returned to his native Emilia-Romagna and spent decades engaged in teaching, formation and pastoral work. He taught philosophy and dogmatic theology in seminaries and theological institutes across the region and became known for his intellectual gifts and organisational abilities. His rise through the Church hierarchy accelerated during the 1980s, particularly after his involvement in preparations for the 1985 National Ecclesial Convention in Loreto, an event that sought to define the Church’s engagement with Italian society after the political and cultural upheavals of the preceding decades. Appointed an auxiliary bishop of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla in 1983, he soon attracted the attention of Rome. In 1986, Pope John Paul II brought him to the capital as secretary-general of the Italian Bishops’ Conference. Five years later, the Polish pontiff elevated him to the College of Cardinals and entrusted him with two of the most important positions in Italian Catholicism. Throughout his leadership, he argued that Catholics should not retreat from public life but should instead engage confidently in the cultural and political debates shaping the nation. His most notable interventions often concerned issues relating to marriage and the family. Cardinal Ruini repeatedly warned against legal measures that he believed would weaken the institution of marriage or undermine the family founded upon it. He emerged as one of the most prominent Catholic opponents of efforts to grant full legal recognition to same-sex relationships, arguing that such measures risked obscuring the unique social role of the family. He also played a decisive role during the 2005 referendum campaign concerning Italy’s laws on artificial insemination and assisted reproduction. Rather than urging Catholics to vote against proposed changes, he encouraged abstention in order to prevent the referendum from reaching the turnout threshold required for validity. The strategy proved successful when participation fell short of the required level, a significant victory for the Church and for Ruini personally. Beyond individual political battles, he frequently reflected on broader cultural trends affecting Europe. He warned against aggressive forms of secularism and argued that Europe risked losing touch with its Christian roots. Tributes poured in from across the political and ecclesiastical spectrum following news of his death. Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the current president of the Italian Bishops’ Conference, praised his predecessor’s contribution to the Church in Italy. “We gather in prayer and entrust to the mercy of the Father Cardinal Camillo Ruini, whom the Lord has called to Himself. We remember with gratitude his long and fruitful Christian life and his service to the Church,” Cardinal Zuppi said. His Eminence added: “He served the Church with intelligence and pastoral passion. He helped the Church in Italy to think, discern, speak and walk in its own time.” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni described Ruini as “a great man of the Church, of extraordinary intelligence and profound humanity, who defended with vigour the identity, mission and role of Catholics in Italian society”. She said she had been honoured to know him personally and called him “one of the most lucid minds of Italian society”, expressing hope that his “spiritual, cultural and human legacy” would continue to bear fruit. Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini wrote that Ruini had been “a point of reference for millions of Italian Catholics” who dedicated his life to “the Church, to dialogue, and to the defence of Western values, always with courage and consistency”. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also paid tribute, describing him as “an authoritative figure of the Church” and “a strenuous defender of traditional values” who remained “a precious interlocutor for politics and institutions”. His death comes at a notable moment in the life of the Church, arriving shortly before cardinals gather in Rome for Pope Leo XIV’s extraordinary consistory, where Cardinal Ruini would have been a valued participant. The meeting, whose programme was recently outlined by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, will draw together members of the College of Cardinals for discussion and consultation. In his letter to the cardinals, Cardinal Re explained that the Holy Father wished to draw upon the experience and counsel of the College while fostering a climate of “listening, freedom and parrhesia” among the participants. The gathering will open with a period of prayer and discussion focused on the international situation, with cardinals invited to share the sufferings, tensions and concerns affecting their local Churches, as well as signs of hope and reconciliation emerging amid conflict and uncertainty. Subsequent sessions will centre on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas , particularly its reflections on war, peace and the moral responsibilities of nations. Discussions are expected to examine the Holy Father’s call for a renewed commitment to peace and his rejection of attempts to justify armed conflict through appeals to the traditional theory of the “just war”. A further session will consider the encyclical’s broader vision of Christian hope and integral human development in a rapidly changing world. The final day of discussions will focus on the implementation of the Synod process and preparations for the Synodal Assemblies of 2027 and 2028, before concluding with an open dialogue between the cardinals and the Pope.